Outline

Objectives: The aim of this study is to measure the associations between prosthetic status and depressive symptoms based on data from the Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP 0).

Methods: Records from 2135 participants aged 30 to 59 years from the basis for analysis. A new classification is used to identify the degree of prosthetic reconstruction to specify a scale for the depending variable. The epidemiological model includes sociodemographic, health behavioural and social net variables. The current psychopathological status of the subjects was assessed with a modified version of a self-report scale with 38-items from Zerssen. Screening for the lifetime diagnosis of mental disorders was performed with the Composite International Diagnostic Screener. A sum scale was used (range 5 till 20). Multiple logistic regression was used to explore the influence of this variable in our model.

Results: Significant protective dose response of depression on prosthetic reconstruction can be shown in men in the lower jaw [0-1 depressive symptoms: OR=3.80, 95%-CI (1.66-8.67), p<0.01; 2-3 depressive symptoms: OR=2.92; 95%-CI (1.27-6.73), p<0.01; adjusted for age, school education, marital status, living without a partner, smoking status, risky alcohol consumption, obesity, diabetes, and physical activity]. This could not be confirmed in women and for the upper jaw.

Conclusions: Male subjects with signs of depression have a higher level of prosthodontic status suggesting a higher level of worry concerning their personal health. A compensation of this effect because of aesthetic significance has to be discussed for the upper jaw and in women.